Greater Detroit Foreign Trade Zone (GDFTZ) is a user-funded, Michigan nonprofit corporation that provides competitive advantages to companies involved in international trade through deferral, reduction or elimination of U.S. Customs duties.  By maximizing the use of foreign trade zones by existing prospective businesses, GDFTZ helps ensure the competitive marketing position of firms in both international and domestic markets.

The U.S. Foreign-Trade Zone Program was created by special legislation of the U.S. Congress in 1934 to stimulate international trade and create jobs and investment in the U.S. rather than abroad.  A foreign trade zone (FTZ) is an area within the geographical boundary of the United States that is considered to be outside the Customs territory of the U.S.  Companies may bring foreign and domestic merchandise into zones for storage, testing, relabeling, displaying, manufacturing, and for the eventual entry into U.S. commerce or for exportation from the U.S.  All Customs duties and federal excise taxes are deferred while merchandise is in a zone and, in many instances, these duties or taxes can be substantially reduced or eliminated through zone use.  The growth of the foreign trade zone is dramatic- as of 1970, 16 zone project had been approved, while today there are nearly 600 general-purpose zones and subzones in 49 states.